What is TEDx
In the spirit of "ideas worth spreading," TED has created TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxConstitutionDrive, where x = independently organized TED event. At TEDxConstitutionDrive, live speakers and TEDtalk videos will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.
We try to make TEDxConstitutionDrive an intimate and low-key event where people who are deeply interested in the topic can engage with each other on a personal level. We ask attendees to come with an open mind and a sincere desire to connect with the ideas and the other attendees.
Our 2012 theme was “Identity”
This year we explored Identity in a way that went beyond the standard gender/race/age lines. We see Identity as the non-genetic DNA of us, one that is co-created by our environments and ourselves, and which drives in a powerful way our choices, our relationships and our lives. Speakers as diverse as Eric Drooker, New Yorker artist, to Beau Lewis, producer of the American Hipster series, to John Murray, scientist at the SRI International labs, came to share their perspectives on Identity.
We held our event this year in the phenomenal classic car warehouse and winery (yes, both!) Auto-Vino. After we finished the speaker sessions surrounded by eye candy, we transitioned to the winery counter for a wine-tasting flight of excellent vintages (included in the ticket). It was a day of extraordinary talks, wondrous music, and remarkable people. We are still recovering.
Genesis of TEDxConstitutionDrive
"My sister and I converged in North Cyprus (the Turkish part) while I was writing my dissertation, and were having dinner and raki with a local Turkish Cypriot friend. He told us about the political situation stemming from the conflict in the '70s, saying that the crux of the matter was trust. Trust is such an inherently multidisciplinary topic - we thought it'd be great to get people together who were smarter than us and talk about trust as a concept, a value, and a solution. I'd been attending TED for a few years, and it seemed like a natural fit. We liked the idea of picking one theme with depth and exploring it from different angles - our first year was Trust and this year was Identity!
This TEDx is a bit of an experiment - we're keeping it purposefully small and trying to get people to relate to each other. Having attended the official TED conferences, I find them to be very social experiences but also very lonely. We're hoping our little event won't be for our attendees." - Tam Thao
A HEARTFELT THANK YOU!
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou - to our amazing speakers, our equally remarkable attendees, our sponsors who made it possible, our vendors who make it happen, and last but not least, our hard-working organizers. Our hearts and minds were full. It was a time.
Video and photos to come.
Sign up to hear about our next event!
If you want us to let you know when our next event opens, submit your email here.